The Defence Headquarters has made clarifications on the recent airstrike in Sokoto State, which resulted in the deaths of 10 villagers.
In a press briefing held in Abuja on Friday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen. Edward Buba said the fatalities were not directly caused by the airstrike but rather by a secondary explosion at the Lakurawa terrorist logistics base.
Maj-Gen. Buba explained that the airstrike was a precision-guided operation targeting the terrorist hideout in the area. He emphasized that the airstrike hit the logistics base, leading to secondary explosions that caused the reported casualties.
“The airstrike indeed hit the logistics base of the terrorists, which led to secondary explosions. It was these explosions that caused the casualties reported earlier,” Buba stated.
The Defence Headquarters further clarified that the terrorists’ logistics base housed dangerous materials, including hand cartridges and explosives, which detonated when struck by the Air Force’s precision munitions. Buba noted that the 10 persons who lost their lives were not hit directly by the airstrikes, but rather by the secondary explosion.
In preparation for the operation, the military said it conducted sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance over an extended period to confirm the presence of terrorists in the area. The operation was planned as a joint effort, leveraging the air component’s precision strike capabilities and the land component’s advantage of having boots on the ground.
“Sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance were conducted over an extended period to confirm the presence of terrorists in the area and to ensure that those present were indeed terrorists. Due to these painstaking measures, the operation, initially scheduled for an earlier date, had to be rescheduled to the 25th, when it was ultimately carried out. The operation was planned as a joint effort, leveraging the air component’s precision strike capabilities and the land component’s advantage of having boots on the ground,” he said.
“This operation began with pre-operational intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions to confirm terrorist activities in the general area. Subsequently, human intelligence was deployed, and their reports corroborated the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance findings, highlighting the strategic importance of neutralising the location. Once confirmed, aircraft were dispatched to conduct precision airstrikes on the identified hideouts at approximately 0600 hours on the specified day.”
Buba revealed that the ground forces confirmed the destruction of the terrorists’ key infrastructure and the neutralisation of several combatants during the operation.
“Locals in the community also confirmed that the terrorists had been using the area as a staging ground for their operations. Intelligence and surveillance reports before the airstrike consistently identified the location as a high-concentration hideout for the Lakurawa group,” he added.
Buba assured that the military would continue its operations to dismantle terrorist networks while minimizing harm to civilians and their communities.
“The operation’s primary objective was achieved, and the impact on surrounding villages was minimal,” Buba insisted.